Oppressive regimes attack human rights on two levels. The most
obvious assault, as we have seen in Iran in recent months, aims at
suppressing political opponents and protest.

But history teaches us that we need to worry about a secondary level
of attack as well, the kind that takes place in the shadows.

That's the persecution directed at weak segments of the population
targeted for special repression, the old and sickening story in which
minority religious or ethnic groups are singled out as scapegoats of
the state, blamed for all its troubles.

This is why we need to be very concerned now for the safety of
Iran's approximately 300,000 Baha'is, followers of the gentle,
internationalist Baha'i faith, the country's largest minority religion.

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The Baha'i religion has been officially banned in Iran since 1979.
But now, in a textbook case of scapegoating, Iran's theocratic leaders
are blaming the Baha'is for stirring up all the unrest sweeping the
country today.

They are even accusing them of stockpiling firearms, which seems ludicrous given the peaceful nature of the religion.

But in an ominous nod to even more persecution ahead, Tehran argues
that the Baha'is are doing this in conjunction with Israel, which is
really directing the whole conspiracy.

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The Baha'i seven.

The
potential for "cleansing," which is inherent in this kind of
scapegoating, is why it is so important for the international community
to stay on top of a trial that just started in Tehran:

Seven leaders of the Baha'i National Spiritual Assembly are charged
with insulting Islam, spreading propaganda against the state, spying
for Israel and, for good measure, "spreading corruption on Earth."

These charges not only carry the death penalty but seem designed to
stir up maximum anti-Baha'i hatred in the general population.

The accused, whose innocence has been loudly proclaimed by many
international human rights groups, have already endured years of
psychological terror.

Since their arrest in the spring of 2008 they've been held in
Tehran's notorious Evin prison, often in solitary confinement. For the
first year, they were without access to lawyers or even formal charges.

Preordained.

This week, the accused were finally brought before what appears to be a show trial with a preordained ending.

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Observers were barred from the court while cameras from the
state-controlled media were ushered inside. Never a comforting sign in
a dictatorship.

In protest, Diane Alai, a Baha'i representative to the United
Nations in Geneva, noted that "Baha'i's are by the most basic principles
of their faith committed to absolute nonviolence.

"Any charge that there might have been weapons or 'live rounds' in their homes is simply and completely unbelievable."